Bay News Nine reports teacher shortage (pay, children, students)

[Beach Sportsfan]

Originally Posted by MortonR

You have me confused with someone else. I have never made references to the military relative to teaching unless it was to point out how miserably the alternative certification program worked for former military personnel. Maybe it's my use of the term "discipline" as in:

a branch of knowledge, typically one studied in higher education.
"sociology is a fairly new discipline"
synonyms: field (of study), branch of knowledge, subject, area; specialty
"sociology is a fairly new discipline"

I didn't fail in teaching, in fact, I was very successful in teaching ESE students in both pre-K and high school and was regularly highly rated for my classroom management skills, which, I might add, resembled nothing remotely close to military practices. I chose to leave the profession so I could make a decent living and support my family. I got tired of the District politics, the 60-80 hour work weeks and the lack of respect mainly from the parents. Now I have a nice 8-5 job that pays me double what I was making in education without all the baggage. My evenings and weekends are free for my own enjoyment and not for grading, completing IEPs and 504 paperwork.

I commend you and anyone else who pursues the teaching profession. Call it selfish, but I chose to be able to make a decent living, maintain my personal respect and sanity and provide for my family rather than to sacrifice for a profession that continues to decline in any number of areas. Until society recognizes teachers as "professionals" the revolving door of attrition at 3-5-7 years will continue.

RM

Couldn't agree with you more and don't blame for choosing your family first. I'm currently on my 36 year of teaching and still love dealing with the kids but it's the political football that education has become that has created an atmosphere that is not conductive for new teachers to come in. In reality our state by its low salaries, teaching atmosphere and support has created a situation in which teaching is NOT a career and something that someone will do for 1-5 years. The revolving door eliminates the need for pensions and keeps salaries low but you get what you pay for. I look at the young teachers around me and doubt any will have 30+ years careers.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Beach Sportsfan

Couldn't agree with you more and don't blame for choosing your family first. I'm currently on my 36 year of teaching and still love dealing with the kids but it's the political football that education has become that has created an atmosphere that is not conductive for new teachers to come in. In reality our state by its low salaries, teaching atmosphere and support has created a situation in which teaching is NOT a career and something that someone will do for 1-5 years. The revolving door eliminates the need for pensions and keeps salaries low but you get what you pay for. I look at the young teachers around me and doubt any will have 30+ years careers.

Well said. To give you an example, I was in a cohort of 18 people when I started in college in a closed ESE program (meaning you went in as a cohort and had to follow an assigned track for the last two years of your schooling.) Of the 14 cohort members that were still around at graduation two years later, only 4 went into ESE. As of today, I am aware of only one who is still teaching in ESE. There is one other who is teaching, but in an unrelated subject area.

The other 12 members are out of the profession and have pursued alternate career paths. The ones I've spoken to are quite pleased with their choices and have no intention of ever returning to teaching if they were there to begin with.

I loved my kids, but when it got to the point that work was dominating my life and intruding on my personal life, I called it quits. Dedication is one thing, but becoming totally engulfed in the profession to the exclusion of your personal life is a sacrifice I wasn't willing to make.

RM

[Tampaite]

Originally Posted by indytoflgirl

They report due to large amounts of teacher retirement, it is expected that Sarasota will hire approximately 200 new teachers, Hillsborough will hire approximately 800 new teachers and Pasco will hire approximately 180 new teachers.

Is there a website that provides what teacher's get paid? or is that information confidential for each county?

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Tampaite

Is there a website that provides what teacher's get paid? or is that information confidential for each county?

You should be able to see the salary levels on the Hillsborough County School District's web site. Just dig into the HR section or on the hiring section. I believe the salary schedules for everything are posted there.

Hillsborough County Public Schools - Home

If I recall correctly, a starting teacher with a B.A. Or B.S.earns in the low $40,000 range. Do be aware that their benefits (health insurance) are stupid expensive. If you have a family you need health insurance for it will cost you a significant amount of your salary.

Ram

[The Chap]

Originally Posted by MortonR

If I recall correctly, a starting teacher with a B.A. Or B.S.earns in the low $40,000 range. Do be aware that their benefits (health insurance) are stupid expensive. If you have a family you need health insurance for it will cost you a significant amount of your salary.

Insurance is stupid expensive in any occupation these days; at least if you want it to cover anything and not have a ridiculous deductible.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by Candh07

That's true. My husband is a teacher, and has observed that fact first hands in the kids he teaches. They know everything there is to know about pop culture, movies and music. But when it comes to educational/academic things like classical literature, American history etc..Lots of kids have no interest and are clueless. It's sad. The kids are following the adults, and value what they see society value...
Anyways, to be back on topic, my hubby would love to get one of the vacant positions available, hopefully in a good school, as we are moving to the area in july.

Of course they are clueless. They just have to Goggle it.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by The Chap

Insurance is stupid expensive in any occupation these days; at least if you want it to cover anything and not have a ridiculous deductible.

Not really. It's up to your employer to negotiate the best deal, which the school district has never done. They have a really distorted view of business practices, which in many cases lets the supplier dictate what will be provided and for how much. Never quite understood it when I worked there.

So you're the largest employer in Hillsborough County, with an employee base of roughly 30,000 people. One would expect the employee benefits people to go out and pretty much dictate the terms for a choice opportunity like that.

Nope.

They continue to stay with the same provider because "they work well with us" and "they help hold down our costs."

How? Beats me. I never figured it out as long as I was there. Fortunately for me I could get my health insurance through my spouse's insurer for HALF of what it would have cost me at the school district. And it was better coverage with lower co-pays for a standard HMO type of plan.

One thing I never understood - they pay a third party company, not the insurer themselves, to manage all of the claims processing. Yup, there are claims processors in-house, yet anything you had to do as far as a claim went to this third party company, who no doubt took their cut then passed everything on to the insurer.

So tell me why an insurer can't handle or put the resources in place to deal with a customer the size of the school district?

Anyway, roughly five years ago the middle of the HMO plans for a family was $600/pay, or $1,200/month. How are you going to afford that on a $40,000/year salary? A better plan with my current employer costs about half that, and we have far far fewer employees. But - we negotiate our plan ever two years and make everyone bid on it.

Sorry, but the District's business practices are one thing that made me crazy when I worked there. They are totally clueless in many respects in this area as far as best practices are concerned, in my opinion.

RM

[The Chap]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Anyway, roughly five years ago the middle of the HMO plans for a family was $600/pay, or $1,200/month. How are you going to afford that on a $40,000/year salary? A better plan with my current employer costs about half that, and we have far far fewer employees. But - we negotiate our plan ever two years and make everyone bid on it.

RM

Yeah, okay, you win. I thought my insurance was stupid expensive, but that is STUPID expensive. And that was five years ago? Imagine what it is now.

Perhaps Donald Trump is right... political hacks handling negotiations...

With those prices, the county would be better off self insuring and just hiring a company to handle the administration of the plan.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by The Chap

Yeah, okay, you win. I thought my insurance was stupid expensive, but that is STUPID expensive. And that was five years ago? Imagine what it is now.

Perhaps Donald Trump is right... political hacks handling negotiations...

With those prices, the county would be better off self insuring and just hiring a company to handle the administration of the plan.

Part of the giveaway that the District was getting screwed was that there were no premium increases for at least one, possibly two years.

How many insurers would pass up an opportunity to increase premiums if they weren't already making a killing?

RM

[ishbu123]

Originally Posted by Concert D Major

With all the political games and crap they have to put up with, there should be an indefinite shortage because no one should even want to be a teacher in the first place. Anyone in college who wants to be a teacher should change their major immediately.

I graduated with a teaching degree and its the worst decision I ever made. I can't even be around children anymore, I'm so traumatized. I use the 10 foot rule.